Klein Curacao is a bright jewel in the Caribbean Sea, located off the coast of Curacao, surrounded by magnificent coral reefs. On barely 1.7 square kilometers, this deserted island is about a 1.5-hour boat ride from Curacao and has a fascinating history, mystery, and beauty! A journey to Klein Curacao will appeal to explorers, sunbathers, snorkelers, and divers alike. Read this article to know whether you should visit Klein Curaçao for the day or not.
What to Expect When You Visit Klein Curaçao?
- Nature, Nature, And More Nature
The boat ride from Curacao to Klein Curacao takes around an hour and 45 minutes. Relax on one of the numerous sun-protected benches, open-air hulls, or webbing. You’ll definitely get wet on the way, but you’ll have a front-row ticket to see dolphins!
Dolphins frequently swim alongside the boat, frolic in the waves, and demonstrate their impressive jumping abilities. Because of the waves and currents, the voyage can be rough and wet on occasion, but the reward is priceless!
The sun-drenched bounty island and the old renowned pink lighthouse may be seen from afar. The crystal clear water is calm again when you arrive at Klein Curacao, making it ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Although a dinghy is a dry way to get to shore from a catamaran, we recommend bringing a snorkel and swimming to the beach!
When you enter the water, you are surrounded by a plethora of colorful fish and sea turtles! Baby sea turtles can be seen making their way from the sand to the clear ocean water between May and August.
- A Beach Lover? Don’t Miss It.
When you get ashore, take a stroll around the island while relaxing and sunbathing. The renowned pink lighthouse, shipwrecks, and ruins are all within walking distance from the shore. Put on some sunscreen and try to get there early in the day because the middle of the island may get very hot as the day continues.
The white sand on the Klein Curacao beach may be the best you’ll ever feel between your toes. Because of the delicate, powdery sand, you will notice that your feet will quickly sink in the sand when walking on this beach. When you get back to the shore, take in the sights and sounds of the Caribbean Sea, relax on the boat, and soak it all in.
Visiting this isolated island should undoubtedly be at the top of your Curacao must-do list.
- On Klein Curaçao, there are some photogenic shipwrecks.
Shipwrecks can be found if you continue along the trail to the coast and cross the island in width. The oil tanker (the Maria Bianca Guidesman) ran aground here in the 1980s, and the wreck was never found. The shipwreck is decaying away off the rugged coast. Lost ship parts and a small sailing yacht can be found on the shore. It has only been in that location since 2007. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite as stunning as the oil tanker.
- Underwater wildlife
Begin with a snorkeling excursion. Because of the sand bottom, the water in front of the beach is very blue. The more sand there is, the less there is to see. You can either go to the blue drop-off or to the beach’s far left or right side for an excellent snorkeling experience. Klein Curacao is one of Curacao’s few turtle breeding places. Thus there’s a better chance of seeing sea turtles here. But keep an eye out for balloon fish, barracuda, trunkfish, and a stingray if you’re lucky.
- How can you miss Blue Curacao?
When they don’t know Curacao, ask them if they’ve heard of Blue Curacao. YES! The small-scale distillery produces one of the world’s most famous liqueurs. You can also visit a historic mansion on the property and enjoy a drink and food on a pleasant patio. It takes around an hour, and it is recommended that you take a guided tour.
- It has a rich history.
Klein Curaçao, like its mother island, had a history in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Dutch West India Company. The 1.2-square-mile island is the final resting site of many African slaves quarantined on the island after becoming ill during the perilous Atlantic passage.
Klein Curaçao changed ownership several times after the slave trade ended, eventually becoming home to a phosphate mining industry in 1871. The island is now solely visited by fishermen and tour groups. However, the rusty steel hull of the Maria Bianca Guidesman, a tiny oil tanker that sank off the coast of Klein Curaçao in the 1960s, can still be explored.
What is the best way to get there?
The boat voyage to Klein Curacao can take up to 2 hours, depending on the tour company you hire. The journey to Klein Curacao is choppy at any time of year, so if you’re prone to motion sickness, either take some motion sickness tablets (Dramamine) or try the following approach. Sit on the side of the boat and stare as long as you can at the beach. Focus on the horizon until you can’t see land any longer. We know it sounds dull, but it will keep you from feeling seasick.
To plan your Klein Curaçao trip flawlessly, visit Curacao-trips.com.
Is It Worth A Trip?
The beach on Klein Curaçao is pristine and undeveloped, which adds to the island’s beauty. It feels like you’re in paradise since it’s uninhabited, there’s no trash, and there’s never a lot of people (only the individuals that came on the boat with you).
Every fish that swims by can be seen since the water is so clear and blue. Klein Curaçao is one of our favorite day trips, and we can’t stress enough how important it is to see this island. It’s a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind location that we bet you would have never seen or experienced before.